Aluminum alloys are considered the best options for making heat sinks for the following reasons.

  • Easy to Fabricate

Aluminum is light and soft. This makes it easy to bend, weld, or cut the metal into different shapes. Heat sinks can be large or small in size but have complicated shapes and designs that require easy-to-fabricate materials.

  • Light Weight

Aluminum is three times lighter than steel. Its volume while in solid state determines its weight after extrusion. Overall, it has a reduced atomic weight which makes it lighter than most of the other available options like steel.

The aluminum alloy 6063 and 6061 for heat sink extrusion has a density of 2.7 Kg/m3 when in solid form which reduces to 2.36 Kg/m3 after conversion to liquid. This contributes to its final size which is smaller and lighter than the others.

After extrusion, the small size and lightweight comes in handy especially during application. Electronic device manufacturers don’t have to struggle about making heavier and larger machines to accommodate heat sinks.

  • Cost-Effective

Costs are an important factor to consider in mass production. Aluminum fits the bill with its affordability and ready availability. Besides, it lowers non-recurring engineering costs, therefore making their overall production costs lesser.

  • Thermal Conductivity

Aluminum alloys 6063 and 6061 have desirable thermal conductivity scores between 166 and 201 W/(m.k). Within them, there are valence shells that hold three electrons which make random movements and are loosely inclined towards the nucleus.

The electrons carry charge that facilitate electricity conduction. They move in harmony once current is detected. This action ensures that higher thermal conductivity is achieved.

  • Can be anodized

Sustainability must be looked into when manufacturing heat sinks. Aluminum can be anodized to make the heat sink more corrosion resistant and with better adhesion.